Beschreibung
Did the Great Flood of Indian legend actually happen? Why did the Buddha walk to Sarnath to give his first sermon? How did the Europeans map India? The history of any country begins with its geography; its rivers, mountains and cities. Traversing remote mountain passes, visiting ancient archaeological sites, crossing rivers in shaky boats and immersing himself in old records and manuscripts, Sanyal raises important, perennial questions about Indian history. Why do Indians call their country Bharat? How did the British build the railways across the subcontinent? What was it like to sail on an Indian Ocean merchant ship in the fifth century AD? Why was the world's highest mountain named after George Everest? [Verlagsinformation]

Inhalt
Author's Note. ix
Introduction. 1
1. Of Genetics and Tectonics. 11
2. People of the Lost River. 36
3. The Age of Lions. 70
4. The Age of Merchants. 106
5. Sindbad zu Zheng He. 138
6. The Mapping of India. 176
7. Trigonometry and Steam. 211
8. The Contours of Modern India. 259
Notes. 306
Index. 323

Autor
Currently the Global Strategist of one of the world's largest banks, SANJEEV SANYAL is a prolific writer who divides his time between India and Singapore. An Eisenhower Fellow, he was named Young Global Leader for 2010 by the World Economic Forum. His last book was The Indian Renaissance: India's Rise after a Thousand Years of Decline, published by Penguin in 2008. Wikipedia [en].